Circut racing vs. long distance racing
 

This has been touched upon in a couple other threads.

Which would you rather participate in ?

Which would you rather see in person ?

If televised which would be more entertaining ?

Are the adopted classes and breakouts ok or not ?

Me personally, id rather race marathon style races, watch closed circut racing in person, watch offshore marathons on tv, and im not sure about the classes... I like that it puts everybody on a somewhat level playing field, and keeps it more affordable but hate the mph breakouts.

If I could organize a race id set it up like a poker run...

Multiple checkpoints, this would be cool because you could have open water running but still direct the racing into spectator friendly rivers or bays, and no mph breakouts with few classes possibly designated by h.p or even total c.i.d.

Whats everybody elses thoughts?

MD

its funny, i have been racing for eight or ten years now and it always felt kinda odd throwing these things into turns on closed courses. Sort of like if i tried to run a Trophy Truck at Indy or Daytona. :D


I would love longer open ocean courses that had to be navigated. I still do enjoy the racing we have now none the less. Funnest race i ever did was Point Pleasant a couple years ago after that hurricane went through saturday night up the coast. Big water, what a blast that would be great on a long course! Ed thought i was nuts, coulda'a stayed out there for hours :cool: equally as fun was the Miam-'Bimini race also a couple years ago. I kept looking back waiting for land to go out of sight, that was cool. Left the GPS off and did it with a compass. Its a cool feeling being out there.

We seem to think likewise with the thread starter...
This is my thought in a nutshell.

Me personally, id rather race marathon style races, watch closed circut racing in person, watch offshore marathons on tv, and im not sure about the classes... I like that it puts everybody on a somewhat level playing field, and keeps it more affordable but hate the mph breakouts.

Long distance like the old Benihana I used to sit on the beach in Lavallette and watch every year. You could have classes done by CID broken up by further N/A and forced which would be interesting because it adds another element of talent. Who cans squeeze the most out of the cubes and keep it reliable, or not. It would also be at the racers discretion to choose mild or wild.

Not a fan of the bracket/breakout rule racing that is done today at all. That being said, it is no slight against the racers as it is the field they have to play on currently. Hopefully that will change.

As a spectator the only races I will watch are ones run in a river like St. Clair or Detroit.
For the racer I'd like to see some distance open water racing.
To sanction the races I'd like one organizer which probably means the current three must fail and a new group appear.
ed

Also be cool to have the classes be shared by i.o. & o.b.`s

Have some type of equalizer

I.e.
Class 3; max hp....i.o. 525 o.b. 300

Class 2; max hp.......i.o. 1100 o b. 600

Class 1; max hp.......i.o. 2100 o.b. 1200

Unlimited class; unlimited hp combos

Not exact science but im sure everybody understands what im getting at.

This would make the racing more focused on boat selections and their set ups.

Dave

Having run the Benihana GP out of Point Pleasant several times in the mid 70s, I have to agree with you.
I wonder how many can still plot a course with out a GPS unit and race with only a compass. it is pretty cool coming thru a fog bank and seeing your check point in front of you and you were right on course 8-10 miles off the beach.
In the 80s ran a race and at the drivers meeting they were asking for check point co-ordinates.
the old days

Thank you
Jim

Jim, do you think these guys today could hit the BA buoy from the Seaside pier without a GPS in 5 to 6's?

Steve,

Lets not forget the rain or fog out there.
and still have a fleet of 100+ boats show up. Think back
the 1976 Benihana GP had 40+ P Class boats show up alone.

Am sure some of the guys today could find it, but makes you wonder.
I've talked to long time boaters out here about charts and plotting a course and they look at me like i was talking a foreign language. Things sure have changed.

Thank you
Jim

Jim, still do overhere...

Problem is boaters do not know that the GPS is not a valid and legal navigation instrument, just an aid...
The GPS makers even have a disclaimer included in the "fine print".

Guilty.... Have a compas but it rarely gets more than a glance.
Also have a dusty a$$ chart book that only gets busted out during winter months for ” studying ” or daydreaming.

I remember racing in Sarasota (not that long ago, 1995 ish) when the short laps where 26 miles long. and I remember some other races where the laps where only 7 miles, Lots of turning :)

two races I can think of, most of guys were following the lead boat sportsman classes A to D off coarse. BFI was the only boat to stay on coarse. I knew the navigator, well he went by his charted coarse, back in 1990 and 1993 or 4..hell I ran in morning fog to go watch, with just my notes and charts for 60 to 80 miles one way. after the race it rained with fog all the way back.:eek:. I like both types of racing. there was so much cheating with f1 and f2 gps, bracket racing helped. so the guys that run stock obs have a chance, running against the guys with 700 to 800hp. just look at the national champ over the last few years, its been a ob boat, from the 1990s straight bottom boat it all good.

Those who know me know where I stand but again the races in SD were over the top and the best race of the day was the single outboard P1 final

I'vd raced circle courses with OPC and SK boats back in the day, but for me personally, there is nothing like a 360 degree view of just open ocean.

Sometimes you would run next to someone, sometimes you were alone and only you knew if you were pushing or not.

Fog banks in San Fran, water so clear over the banks in the Bahamas, you thought there was no water under the boat. Big, really Big, no BS waves in Argentina. The fear was always there, but you do it in spite of the fear and that is what makes you feel the most alive.

Steve McQueen in his movie Le Mans, had a line that went something like this.....Racing is life, everythng else is just waiting.

Open ocean long distance racing.....there is nothing I can compare it to and even come close.

Photo below from the book..Blue Water Warriors, is of Sam James in his 38 foot Bertram racing back from Dry Tortugas to Key West.

That pic is insane.

Sweet pic charles....

Sweet pic charles

Lets bring this sh!t back
:signs069::signs069:

I still think that is the best offshore race photo ever.